The Sharks will aim to use Durban’s difficult conditions to their advantage when they take on Ulster in a United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Kings Park on Saturday afternoon.
With kick-off at 14:00, the conditions are hot and humid, as well as light rain, which can make it very difficult for the players.
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A few weeks ago, the Sharks took on the Stormers in tough conditions and finished second best, but center Rohan Janse van Rensburg said they learned a lot from the game and will be better prepared for Ulster this weekend.
“There are a number of things to look out for when it comes to the weather in Durban, especially the heat,” says Janse van Rensburg.
“I think we as a team took a lot of learning from the week of the Stormers game. Our training was very intense that week, because we thought we would benefit from that. But it was a learning curve for us as a team and management.
“Now we know that in a hot week like this, you have to organize your training sessions in a certain way. Coming here to play us in this heat will require a massive adjustment for the Ulster team.
“That will be our advantage. They come from the north and have been in the cold. But from our perspective, we learned a lot from the Stormers game and I think we will be very different in this game, just because of the lessons we took.
Task six countries
Although Ulster are at a further disadvantage with some of their best players missing due to being on Six Nations duty, Janse van Rensburg admits the Sharks still need to be in the game and make sure they limit their mistakes.
“Teams like Leinster and Ulster are well trained, so the margin of error is low. So when they come here, in the heat, we have to use it to our advantage,” said Janse van Rensburg.
“Every point is important now. Every point is huge to get to the top five. Any team that comes to Durban will have to work hard. That’s their responsibility.”